Furnace for roasting ores.



No. 725,056. PATENTED APR. 14, 1903. 'I'. EDWARDS.

PURNACB FR RUASTING DRES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 4, 1902.

PATBNTBD APR, '14, w03.

T. EDWARDS. FURNAGE FOB. ROASTING GRES.

APPLICATION FILED NGV. 4, 1902.

2 SHEETS-SHEBT 2..

I0 MODEL.

UNITED STATES PATENT EEICE.

THOMAS EDWARDS, OF BALLARAT, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA.

FURNACE FOR ROASTING DRES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 725,056, dated. April 14, 1903,. Application filed November 4, 1902. Serial No. 130,020. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS EDWARDS, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Ballarat, Victoria, Australia, have made certain new and useful Improvements in Furnaces for the Roasting of Ores, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to roasting-furnaces whereby copper ore, pyrites, matte, tin ore, antimony ore, quartz, and other sulfurous ores and other compounds may be efficiently and economically roasted and, if desired, chlorodized.

This invention consists of'improvements in and relating to reverberatory furnaces inV which coarse or flnelydivided ores are roasted.

In this invention I have sought to improve the structure and generally to increase the durability and efficiency of the furnace, and in illustration of same drawings are attached, in vvhich-f-V Figure l is a side elevation of a reverberatory furnace containing my improvements. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the furnace and fine with rabbles and driving-gear in elevation. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the'same furnace, partlyin section. Fig. .t is across-section of the furnace. Fig. 5 is au end elevation of the furnace. Fig. 6 shows details of the rabbles. Fig. 7 illustrates details of iron boxes. Fig. 8 illustrates details of the Waterpan used in the furnace. Fig. 9 illustrates details of sleeves and air-regulators. Fig. l0 is a further detail of the parts shown in Fig. 9. Figs. ll and l2 are detail views of the rabble.

The drawings represent the invention as applied to a furnace which is arranged to roast all classes of suld ores and may be constructed of stone, brick, or other suitable material and strongly tied together with tie-rods and stays. Y

As is Well known among mining men and smelters, a long-felt want exists for a deadore roasting-furnace of large capacity which is economical in labor and consumption of fuel. I have sought to supply this Want by making a long-hearth reverberatory furnace similar to the long hand-worked furnace in use, which I work mechanically.

To simplify the arrangement of the mechanism for rotating the rabbles for the stirring of the ore contained in the furnace, I have constructeda tunnel, as at T, under the hearth the whole length of the furnace. In said tunnel I have placed a shaft 12, resting on journals 13, which shaft is fitted with bevel-gears l() to drive or rotate the rabbles on the hearth above. The rabbles are shown at 3 on shafts 9, carrying bevel-gears 10', meshing with the gears lO on the shaft l2.

In this invention the furnace can be'extended to any desired length or width and at any time can be increased in length,`if necessary, without interfering with the working of the furnace but for a few hours, as there will be little else to do but couple the additional shaft to the one in use.

The advantages of the arrangement in a long reverberatory furnace of havingthe gearing and shaftingfunder the hearth instead of above or on top of the furnace are apparent, as it is less costly to put this driving mechanism in the tunnel than to erect the same on top of the furnace. In the tunnel it is protected from dust. Consequently there is less Wear and tear on the Wearing parts in this system of gearing, and by this means the rabbles can be more easily and quickly removed from the furnace and changed when required.

Fig. 3 shows a feed-screw, hopper 34, charge-hole 32, iiue 19 and 20, fire-bridge 27, discharge-hole 2, rabbles 3, sight-holes 4, the fireplace lat the end of the furnace, and one or more fireplaces along each side of the furnace, as shown at 5, according to the length of the furnace. All of these fires may not be continually used at the same time, for if the ore contains a large percentage of sullids it would be Wrong to use all of them; but it would be absolutely necessary to use them all forsmall tained in the ore.

In Fig. 2 the sight or air openings 4 along each side of the furnace are shown. raised a little above the hearth. Atsuitable inter-4 vals along the center of the hearth midway between the walls of the furnace I make holes through the hearth corresponding in number to 4the number of rabbles required in th'e Whole length from the feed end to the discharge end of the furnace. Into each one of these holes I fit or place an iron sleeve 23,

percentages of sulfids con# IOO which is bolted to the iron roof 23Xof the tunnel, (see Figs. 9 and 10,). the top of which sleeve rises about five inches above the hearth of the furnace. This effectually prevents the ore from falling off the hearth down through the sleeve into the tunnel, and through each of these sleeves I insert the stem or shaft 9 of one of my rabbles, which rabble consists of a foot 3, extending parallel to the surface of the hearth and having wearing-shoes 3, carried near but not touching the hearth-surface. These rabbles form stirrers with inverted stems projecting down through the sleeve, and to each of these stems is fitted a bevel-wheel lO/,the teeth of which gears into the teeth of the bevel-wheels 10, which are keyed on the shaft 12, placed under the hearth of the furnace. The stem 9 of the rabble rests in footstep 11. The rabbles are hollow and are kept cold with water owing through them. Said Water after cooling the rabbles passes up through the stem 30, only one of which is shown in Fig. 2 and which projects up from the rabble through the hole 6 in the crown of the arch and discharges the water into the waste-water pan 14, which is placed on the arch. This water is conveyed through pipe 16 to longitudinal waste-waterY main 17, (shown in Figs. 3, 4, and 5,) into which the water from the whole of the rabblesis run to be conveyed away from the furnace. The water from main supply-pipe 24 passes into the water-induction pipe 15, is passed down through the stem 30 and into the hollow foot of the rabble 3, and thence passes out, as above described. The boxes 6 are closed with plates or tiles, leaving only sufficient room for the motion of the stem 30 of the rabble when at work. The inverted spindles are arranged in a series extending longitudinally of the tunnel and may be of any desired and suitable construction and material.

To suit the requirements of the various classes of ore to be treated, my mechanical rabbles are geared to work in opposite directions (see arrows, Fig. 3) to insure a thorough stirring and mixing and exposure of all particles of the ore to the oxygen of the air in the furnace, and also by this means and with the constant motion of the rabbles the ore is gradually carried along from the feed end of the hearth to the fire end, where the roasted ore is automatically discharged from the furnace through the hole 2. (Shown in Fig. 3.) The fumes are carried out through flue 19 into flue 20.

The ore is fed into the furnace through the hole 32 from the hopper 34 by means of a screw 35, which can be driven from any convenient position.

To facilitate the removal of the cold damp ore from under the feed `hole to a warmer place in the furnace where less effort is required to move the ore along, two steps are formed in the hearth. Step 26 rises two inches above the main floor of the hearth and step 25 is raised two inches above step 26. The wear-shoes of the rabbles can be easily removed and replaced, through sight or air holes 4, by others when required without having to remove the rabble or allowing the fire to go down. The holes 6 in the crown of the arch are made more particularly for convenience of changing the rabbles. If a change of rabbles is necessary, the gear wheel 10' is loosened on the stern of the rabble, and the red-hot rabbles are lifted out through the openings 6 with ease and celerity and again may as easily be put back in position.

The top of the tunnel is covered with plateiron, on which the hearth of the furnace is laid. The tunnel is contracted at the fire end to allow space for the ash-pit;but there is sufcient room in it for all purposes.

The subways or manholes 22 (shown in elevation, Fig. 1) are for the convenience of getting to and working in the tunnel, as well as for oillng. Under the bottom of the various sleeves 23 are shutters or regulators 43 to regulate the necessary quantities of air passing up around the stems through the sleeves 23 into the furnace, which is of great importance. By this means the airis better diffused over the roasting ore in the middle of the furnace; which otherwise would receive littleor no air from the sideholes 4. The air from the holes 4 would supply oxygen along the sides of the furnace. Thus the whole area of the roasting ore will be supplied with the necessary air for thorough oxidation.

Fig.` 6 is a detail of the rabbles, which are made of iron or other suitable material, the rabble being shown with the induction waterpipe 15 passing down through the dischargepipe 30 into the foot of the rabble, also the solid stem to which the gear-wheel is to be fitted. 31 is a plug for convenience of putting in pipe 15.

Fig. 11 is an elevation showing the foot of the rabble and the inverted stem 9, `also the hollow water stem 30, projecting upward. Any suitable wear blocks or teeth can be used on these rabbles.

Fig. 7 illustrates details of the boxes 6, showing plan, side elevation, and an end elevation.

One 0f the most important features of my invention as above described consists in the tunnel extending under a long reverberatory hearth, in which tunnel a line-shaft extends longitudinally and is provided at intervals with driving connections for rotating the rabbles disposed'at different points longitudinally of the hearth. So far as I am aware I am the first to provide such an elongated tun- ICO IIO

nel extending longitudinally beneath a re- I ply air to the roasting ore, thus furnishing an air-supply to that portion of the ore that would not be a'ifected by the air entering the side holes 4 of the furnace, as this air would not travel to the middle of the furnace, but would travel Vclose to the side walls of the furnace and escape through the flue, thus affecting the ore on the side of the furnace only. By introducing the air to the middle of the furnace the time of roasting is greatly reduced, because the air necessary to oxidize the ore is directed to the points of greatest advantage.

I do not wish to limit myself to the particular form of horizontal arrangement of the furnace shown, as reverberatory furnaces may be either inclined or horizontal.

'The elongated openings at the top of the furnace are arranged so that their ends will be over the spindles of the rabbles, each opening serving for the removal of two of the rabbles when the same are turned into alinement therewith.

I claim as my invention- 1. A reverberatory furnace comprising an elongated hearth, and openings disposed at different points lengthwise of said hearth and extending up through the same to feed air to the furnace, substantially as described.

2. A reverberatory furnace comprising an elongated hearth, openings disposed at different points lengthwise of said hearth and extending through the same and means for regulating the supply of air through the said openings, substantially as described.

3. A reverberatory furnace comprising a hearth, airopenings extending laterally through the Wall of the furnace and air-openings extending through the hearth, substai1- tially as described.

Il. In combination with an elongated furnace, sleeves extending through the hearth thereof and a regulating-slide for each sleeve whereby the supply of air to the hearth may be regulated, substantially as described.

5. In combination with an elongated reverberatory furnace, a tunnel under the hearth thereof, said hearth having openings extending therethrough, sleeves within the said openings, air-regulators for controlling the passage of air through the said sleeves, rabbles within the furnace having stems projecting downwardly through the sleeves and having hollow stems projecting upwardly, alineshaft in the tunnel, gearing between the said line-shaft and the stems of the rabbles and means for supplying the rabbles with a cooling medium through their hollow stems, substantially as described.

6. In combination with a furnace, a tunnel beneath the same, a line-shaft within the tunnel, rabbles within the furnace, and driving connections between the line-shaft and the rabbles, the said furnace having openings at the top of its arch for the introduction or removal of the rabbles, substantiallyl as described.

7. In combination with an elongated reverberatory furnace, a series of rabbles disposed along the same, and elongated openings in the furnace-wall each having its ends opposite two of the rabble-spindles, substantially as described.

8. In combination in a reverberatory furnace, driving mechanism for the rabbles connected with their spindles and openings through which the rabbles are removed, said openings and driving mechanism being located on opposite sides of the furnace, substantially as described.

9. In combination with the hearth, a rabble having its stem extending down through the hearth, means for driving the rabble and an air-inlet arranged adjacent to the rabblestem, substantially as described.

10. In combination with a hearth, a rabble with means for rotating the same and. an airinlet comprising a sleeve extending through the hearth and above the same, substantially as described.

1l. In combination With the hearth, a rotatable rabble, a stem extending through the hearth and carrying the same and a sleeve surrounding the stem and extending above the hearth for the entrance of air, substantially as described.

12. In combination in a furnace having a hearth, a rabble for stirring the ore on the hearth, the said hearth having an air-inlet extending through it with its upper end above the surface of the hearth to prevent the passage of the ore or dust down through the said opening and means for driving the rabble, substantially as described.

In Witness whereof I have'hereunto set my hand in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS EDWARDS.

Witnesses:

HENRY E. COOPER, C. S. MIDDLETON.

IOO 

